Scottsdale man accused of stealing over $150K from disabled friend

A Scottsdale man that was trusted to care for a disabled man is accused of fraud and theft. He's now behind bars as the attorney general's office says the suspect cashed out or cashed in on this vulnerable vulnerable person's benefits. And now the victim's family is speaking exclusively to Fox 10 investigator Justin Long. It took four years once Adult Protective Services concluded its investigation to get to this point. Now criminal charges have been filed against Samuel Buat Jr. And according to family members of the victim, he believed Buat was his best friend. Kristen DeBroy still remembers that day in 1980. The day her younger brother's life changed forever. Sean Percy was 14 and the family was on vacation in the Midwest. But that day, Sean suffered a traumatic brain injury at a hotel. He didn't realize that they had just hosed off the pool area and he just went down and he crashed on his head. Kristen says after the accident, Sean spoke incoherently. It turned out that there was a blood vessel that had broken and it formed a large clot the size of a grapefruit in his head. So much has changed over the last 46 years. He is forever disabled with a traumatic brain injury. He was an athletic, happy-go-kid back in the day. This is 61-year-old Samuel Buat who met Sean in high school, according to Kristen. And once the two boys became adults, Sean gave Buat power of attorney. Under the guise of, hey man, I'm going to be your best friend. It's going to be so cool if you live with me. You don't have to live with your parents. You can have freedom. I'm going to make you rich. But that was all a fallacy because that money was not used for my brother. Kristen and her husband Jim say the distance between Sean and his family kept growing. It's like trying to save someone who's drowning. The lifeguard swims out there and the person drowning pushes them away. And communication with Sean was non-existent. Every time we tried in earnest to embed ourselves back in his life, Sam would be a barrier to that. Between 2020 and 2021, the Dubroys say a nurse caring for Sean at a facility noticed something about Buat's behavior and filed a formal complaint with Adult Protective Services. That led to an investigation. In April of 2022, Buat was placed on the APS registry, a public database listing individuals who APS has substantiated an allegation of abuse, neglect or exploitation of a vulnerable adult. Officials say Buat exploited Sean by illegally using his resources for profit, making purchases and withdrawals totaling at least $150,000. But before being listed on the registry as a perpetrator, a court order separated Buat from Sean and his health care annuity. Please say your name and your date of birth. Samuel Buat, 4-23-65. By the end of May 2026, Buat appeared in court shortly after being arrested, indicted on several charges. So there's three counts fraud schemes, two counts theft of property and one count unlawful use of power. The grand jury indictment says between 2008 and 2022, Samuel Buat defrauded Sean, stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars between Sean's funds, Medicaid benefits and Social Security. The Arizona Attorney General's Office is prosecuting the case. A source close to the situation who wants to remain anonymous says Buat carried an entrepreneur image. Sam cared about looking successful than actually being successful. He surrounded himself with people he believed that he could influence or control. And this source says they witnessed control over Sean and his finances. Sean's vulnerability made him easy to influence and Sam took advantage of that trust. And the decisions about Sean's care and finances were not in Sean's best interest. I'm going to enter not guilty on your behalf. Buat has pled not guilty and remains in a Maricopa County jail on a $500,000 bond. We reached out to the attorney assigned to Buat's case for comment, but the attorney's law firm won't confirm or deny representation. Seeing him for the first time in many years in the courtroom with his Maricopa County issued black and white stripes and hearing the chains, very surreal. He didn't seem like he had the power anymore. Buat's trial is currently scheduled for October 2026. My hope is that the full truth comes out. I want people to finally see the pattern of the behavior that he has harmed so many. I hope that this case brings real accountability. Sean's family says he's doing better despite what's been described as betrayal as they wait patiently for justice. We've seen no evidence of remorse even when Adult Protective Services stepped in and finally disconnected him from Sean. So I have no message for Sam. I'm Justin Lum for Fox 10 Investigates.